MLB trade deadline 2026: Players most likely to be dealt Monday
It's MLB trade deadline day, version 2026.
Tarik Skubal, the most coveted player on the market, has already been traded, landing -- to the sorrow of many baseball fans -- with the Los Angeles Dodgers as they aim for a three-peat. Don't blame the Dodgers for wanting to win more than the owner of your favorite team.
As always, things could get interesting and fun Monday if big names in the rumor pipeline, such asMason Miller, CJ Abrams, Zach Neto, George Kirby or Otto Lopez, get traded, but this is a list of 10 good players most likely to be moved. Nine of the 10 players here will likely be free agents, so none of them should require a return of an overall top-50 prospect, as was the case with Skubal.
This has largely been the situation in recent trade deadlines, as teams are reluctant to trade top prospects, even for players with additional years of team control. Those players listed above are all team controllable for at least two more seasons beyond 2026, making them difficult to acquire.
Editor's note:Luis Arraez was No. 1 on this list before being traded to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday morning.
1. Clay Holmes, RHP, New York Mets
Best fits: Braves, Phillies, Brewers, Astros, Twins, White Sox, Diamondbacks, Padres
The Mets already unloaded one starter in Freddy Peralta; expect Holmes to go next. He isn't a guaranteed free agent because he has a $12 million player option for 2027, which he's likely to turn down (although the labor situation makes that decision a little more complicated).
Holmes missed two months because of a broken right leg but is currently rehabbing in the minors. His conversion from reliever with the Yankees to starter with the Mets has been successful, as he has compiled a 3.26 ERA across 40 starts in two seasons in Queens. Though he's not the big strikeout pitcher teams are looking for in a postseason starter, he makes up for that with one of the highest groundball rates in the majors.
He's the best starter likely to move Monday -- one of several who might get traded -- and it will be fascinating to see if the Mets ship Holmes to one of their NL East rivals.
2. Foster Griffin, LHP, Washington Nationals
Best fits: Braves, Phillies, Brewers, Astros, Twins, White Sox, Diamondbacks, Padres
Griffin has been one of the season's best surprises, signing with the Nationals for $5.5 million after spending the past three seasons in Japan. The Nationals' regret will be not signing him to a longer contract, as Griffin will be eligible for free agency even though he's technically still a rookie.
The 31-year-old is 12-3 with a 3.06 ERA. That might overstate what to expect the rest of the way, as he's averaging less than a strikeout per inning and has allowed 19 home runs in 129 innings. With a fastball that averages 91 mph, he lacks the premium heater teams covet, but batters have hit .197 off it, and he uses his cutter as his primary fastball to right-handed batters. He recently had a streak of eight straight starts allowing one run in each outing.
3. Adrian Morejón, LHP, San Diego Padres
Best fits: Yankees, Phillies, Brewers, Rays, Twins
The first reliever listed here. The Padres already reportedly turned down the Yankees' offer of Will Warrenfor Morejón. With the Padres suddenly back in the wild-card race after going 8-2 in their past 10 games, a Morejón trade might be less likely.
Teams covet the power lefty with the 99 mph heater, but the Padres are understandably looking for a big return for a player who would fill a vital role for a playoff team. But the Padres need rotation help and another hitter, so maybe they deal from their bullpen depth in a major leaguer-for-major leaguer type of trade.
4. Casey Mize, RHP, Detroit Tigers
Best fits: Braves, Phillies, Brewers, Astros, Twins, White Sox, Diamondbacks, Padres
The Tigers pushed back Mize's recent start to Tuesday -- a sign that they didn't want to risk an injury. The possibility of Mize being dealt probably increased after the Tigers traded Skubal. If you've already dealt your ace, you might as well empty the cupboard because you've already admitted that you're more concerned about the future.
Mize has twice been placed on the injured list because of a groin strain, but he's still having his best season, with a 2.70 ERA and 2.9 WAR in just 16 starts. He has done an excellent job of suppressing hard contact while avoiding walks (just 19 in those 16 starts). Despite a very low groundball rate, he has allowed just five home runs. Four of the five homers he has allowed have come on the road, but he has had all of his pitches working while allowing batters a .593 OPS in 2026. That's the 10th-lowest mark among pitchers with at least 80 innings -- three points better than Skubal.
5. Luke Weaver, RHP, New York Mets
Best fits: Yankees, Phillies, Brewers, Rays, Twins
Weaver is the one player here who is signed for 2027, when he'll make $12.5 million, but he's still likely to be traded (as are fellow Mets relievers Brooks Raley and Huascar Brazoban).
The reliever carousel is always busy on deadline day, although none of the relievers can match Miller's impact if the Padres trade him. Still, Weaver has been pretty good during the past three seasons, including a 1.84 ERA in 2026. He has curbed the home run issues that plagued him at times with the Yankees in 2025, allowing three in 44 innings. Though he was terrible in the postseason last year (five runs in three outings while registering just one out), he was excellent in 2024, appearing in 12 games with a 1.76 ERA and showing the ability to pitch more than one inning if needed.
That could make him a valuable setup man for a team that needs bullpen help -- you know, like the Yankees.
6. Robbie Ray, LHP, San Francisco Giants
Best fits: Braves, Phillies, Brewers, Astros, Twins, White Sox, Diamondbacks, Padres
The 2021 American League Cy Young winner is having his best season since he won that award, going 10-6 with a 3.08 ERA, including a 1.09 ERA over his past eight starts.
He has faced some weak lineups over that stretch but has allowed just one home run in 49 innings. He still walks too many batters, his strikeout rate is dropping and he's generally much more vulnerable to right-handed batters (14 of his 15 home runs have come to righties). Still, he's on a good roll, and he's a viable rotation option down the stretch, if not necessarily a pitcher to trust in a playoff game.
Note his big home/road split this year: 2.22 ERA, .193 average at home; 4.06 ERA, .263 average on the road.
7. Daulton Varsho, CF, Toronto Blue Jays
Best fits: Diamondbacks, Phillies, Astros, Marlins
Varsho is a premium defensive center fielder who hit for power in a career year in 2025 but has been a below-average hitter in 2026.
Still, there are plenty of teams that could use help in center field. The Diamondbacks started four different players in center field in July. Varsho would be a major defensive upgrade over Justin Crawford for the Phillies. The Astros have been public about their need for a left-handed-hitting outfielder. Marlins center fielders have hit .204 with eight home runs.
8. Gleyber Torres, 2B, Detroit Tigers
Best fits: Red Sox, Rays, Twins, Padres, Diamondbacks, Guardians
This is the same list of teams as Arraez before he was dealt to the Phillies, plus the Diamondbacks and Guardians, who both could use Torres as a DH option.
Torres has a .389 OBP, higher than Arraez, and has been a tough out in the postseason during the past few years with the Yankees and then the Tigers. Maybe the Tigers will try to thread the needle by keeping Mize and Torres -- especially after sweeping the A's, including wins of 13-1 and 11-0.
9. Dustin May, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
Best fits: Braves, Phillies, Brewers, Astros, Twins, White Sox, Diamondbacks, Padres
May has had a better season than his surface-level stats (5-7, 4.38 ERA) indicate, with a 3.14 FIP, as he has allowed just seven home runs in 109 innings to go with a solid 106 strikeouts and 35 walks.
He has changed his repertoire a bit this season, utilizing his four-seamer more often than his sinker while increasing the usage of his cutter. He still throws hard after all of his arm injuries (97 mph fastball), although he doesn't induce a lot of swing-and-miss (26th percentile).
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